Arabic reggae and spoken word poetry at Rich Mix 22.03.14

WAR ON WANT AND SOAS PALESTINE SOCIETY PRESENT: CROSSING THE FRONTLINES

Sat 22 March 8pm £12 / Main Space

An evening of international music and performance, featuring the latest trends in Arabic reggae and dub with the best spoken word poetry around!

Line-up includes Toot Ard, Ministry of Dub-Key, Dizraeli, and more!

This event is a fundraiser for Syrian refugees in Lebanon through Sawa For Syria and Kanafani Habilitation.

TOOT ARD – Pure 70% Water Oriental Mountain Reggae TOOT ARD (Strawberries) is a “mountain reggae” band from the majestic mountainside village of Majdal Shams in the Occupied Golan Heights/ Syria. Their Laissez-passer documents say they are “Undefined” but they are sure they are 73% water and that MUSIC will lead them. Toot Ard has emerged as one of the most promising new bands in the Levant region. Singing in Arabic and weaving classical Arabic motifs into funky African inspired Reggae/ska grooves, they will make every audience laugh, dance, smile and imagine the many possibilities for a better future…

DUB-KEY – Ragga Movement, Freedom for all people, Palestinian Resistance Style. Dubkey, is the name of an old cultural dancing form that has been in the Arabic culture, and specifically the Palestinian one, for hundreds and thousands of years up till this living day. Dubkey is our cultural break dancing flowing over the tunes of our ancestors, it is what keeps us alive, connected to the roots of our olive tree that will never be pulled out. Dub-is the product of our african brothers over there between the islands, who taught us to resist through music and dance, to love life, even if all the other people treat you as inferior….to break down the chains of apartheid, and live up in the name of Jah. Key- the key of the house that my grandfather took with him before he was displaced from his home and village, Becoming a refugee alongside hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in 1948. our Grand-fathers and mothers still holding their keys, hoping one day to return to their original home, and if they don’t, the generations that will come after, will hold the keys of their grandfathers and walk their walk of return… Returning back to the home land.

Dizraeli & The Small Gods got together with two of the UK’s sickest hiphop producers – GhostTown from Dead Players and BadHabitz of Krate Krusaders / Split Prophets – and reinvented Moving In The Dark, the title track from their album. Two completely new tracks emerged, with brand new bars from Dizraeli going deeper into the theme of the original, and one with a feature from Don’t Flop legend Adam The Rapper… Both bangers in their own right, the remixes are accompanied by the album versions of Moving In the Dark and White Rum to make for a lovely EP, out right now on shiny black vinyl..

A friend and I were detained under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act when flying into Rome. They seized our phones and our luggage. I was fingerprinted/ DNA sampled/photographed/interrogated and missed my flight. I am so tired of the vilification of people like me. Pls RT